Test clip for electrical conductor

ABSTRACT

A test clip having opposed spring closed jaws has one electrically conducting jaw and an opposed jaw with a yieldable and deformable surface capable of conforming to the shape of a wire or terminal to which the clip is attached. The yieldable surface has a high coefficient of friction.

niied States Patent Carhonneau 5] Feb. 22, 1972 [54] TEST CLIP FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR [72] Inventor: Gordon S. Carbonneau, Grand Rapids,

Mich.

[731 Assignee: Carbonneau Rapids, Mich.

221 Filed: July 10, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 53,781

Industries, lnc., Grand [52] US. Cl. ..339/l08 TP, 24/262 R, 324/725, 339/255 P, 339/261 [51] Int. Cl. .1101! 11/24 [58] Field ofSearch ..339/108,255, 260,261,278; 24/73 SA, 81 LC, 243 LC, 248 CR, 262; 324/725,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 810,678 l/l906 Rubin "ii/aside 1,513,009 10/1924 Robb ..24/262 GC 3,078,367 2/1963 Jackson... .......24/262 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 16,544 7/1893 Great Britain ..24/262 GC OTHER PUBLICATIONS Science American, W. P. White,Feb. l9l l,p. 140.

Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorney-Austin A. Webb ABSTRACT A test clip having opposed spring closed jaws has one electrically conducting jaw and an opposed jaw with a yieldable and deformable surface capable of conforming to the shape of a wire or terminal to which the clip is attached. The yieldable surface has a high coefficient of friction.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEBFEB22 m2 3. 644.877

INVENTOR. GORDON S CARBON/V540 ATTORNEY TEST CLIP FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR The drawings, of which there is one sheet, illustrate three practical and alternative forms of the clip.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of the test clip.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the plane of the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through a modified form of one jaw of the clip.

FIG. 4 is a crosssectional view through a second modified form of the clip.

The clip shown in FIG. 1 has two body pieces of metal 1 and 2 pivotally connected by the pin 3 intermediate of their ends. The lower piece 1 has a toothed, terminal contacting, jaw 4 at one end and an electrical connection at the other end to a lead or test wire 5, formed by folding and crimping the sides of the piece over the end of the wire at 6. The upper piece of the clip has a finger grip 7 on one end, and a clamping jaw 8 on the other end opposed to the contact jaw 4. The clamping jaw 4 is bare metal and is shaped as by the teeth shown; but the clamping arm 8 is provided with a pad 9 of soft conformable material in the area of the contact jaw 4. A coil spring 10 urges the clamp jaws of the clip together.

The pad in FIGS. 1 and 2 consists of a sleeve of rubber which is stretched over the arm. The material of the sleeve is soft or yieldably deformable so as to conform to the surface of a wire or terminal to which it is temporarily attached. The surface of the pad 9 desirably has a high coefficient of fraction to resist accidental removal of the clip from the terminal. Partially cured or cured natural or synthetic rubbers are good materials for the pad.

The modified pad 9A in FIG. 3 is preformed from any of the materials listed, and has an integral headed pin 1 1 that is pulled through a hole 12 in the clamp arm 8A to hold the pad in place.

The modified pad 93 in FIG. 4 may either be preformed and adhered to arm 88, or it may be built up on the arm by repeated applications or coating of a liquid rubber. In each of the examples illustrated, the pad is sufficiently yieldable to permit the terminal to which it is applied to deform the pad as shown by the dotted lines at 13 in all three forms of the pad. Note that it is not necessary for the pads to engage the surface of the terminal directly opposite the jaws 4. It is sufficient if the pad engages a substantial area of the terminal adjacent to the conducting jaw so that the frictional contact with the surface will resist displacement of the clip. Also, it is not necessary that the clamping jaw 8 overlap the contacting jaw 4. The

yieldable insulating pad 9 may project beyond the end of the jaw 8, so that the pad itself applies the clamping pressure to the terminal.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A test clip having opposed spring pressed clamping arms,

one of said arms having a bare electrically conducting contact jaw,

means on said clip for mechanically connecting an electrical conductor thereto and in electrical contact withsaid one arm and its jaw,

and a pad of yieldably deformable material on the other of said arms forming a second jaw positioned to engage the surface of a conductor engaged between said jaws,

said pad having a surface with a high coefficient of friction.

2. A test clip as defined in claim I in which said pad is secured to a portion of said other arm which is opposed to said bare electrically conducting jaw.

3. A test clip as defined in claim 2 in which said pad is a sleeve of rubber stretched over its supporting clamp arm.

4. A test clip as defined in claim 2 in which said pad is formed of rubber and has a projection extending through an opening in its supporting arm to hold the pad in place.

5. A test clip as defined in claim 2 in which said pad is adhered to the surface of its supporting clamp arm.

6. A test clip as defined in claim 2 in which said pad extends along its supporting arm for a distance several times the length of said electrically conducting jaw. 

1. A test clip having opposed spring pressed clamping arms, ONE OF SAID ARMS HAVING A BARE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING CONTACT JAW, MEANS ON SAID CLIP FOR MECHANICALLY CONNECTING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR THERETO AND IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID ONE ARM AND ITS JAW, AND A PAD OF YIELDABLY DEFORMABLE MATERIAL ON THE OTHER OF SAID ARMS FORMING A SECOND JAW POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE SURFACE OF A CONDUCTOR ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID JAWS, SAID PAD HAVING A SURFACE WITH A HIGH COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION.
 2. A test clip as defined in claim 1 in which said pad is secured to a portion of said other arm which is opposed to said bare electrically conducting jaw.
 3. A test clip as defined in claim 2 in which said pad is a sleeve of rubber stretched over its supporting clamp arm.
 4. A test clip as defined in claim 2 in which said pad is formed of rubber and has a projection extending through an opening in its supporting arm to hold the pad in place.
 5. A test clip as defined in claim 2 in which said pad is adhered to the surface of its supporting clamp arm.
 6. A test clip as defined in claim 2 in which said pad extends along its supporting arm for a distance several times the length of said electrically conducting jaw. 